Bamboo can be used for thousands of different applications and Van Nefterik is aware of that like no one else for the last 25 years. `Before the company began selling bamboo plant support, we were mostly trading in wooden poles to support trees in the fruit cultivation, but this was only the beginning. Since 2015, Van Nifterik focuses completely on gardening and we are now supplying bamboo products to growers of lots of different plants. Inside and outside of the Netherlands". Rene Ratterman and Martin Cromwijk talk about the recent developments in the company.
Johan van Eckeveld, Martin Cromwijk and Rene Ratterman
In 1994 Alex van Nifterik went to China for the first time to establish contact that, in some cases, are still being used today. Meanwhile a new factory and offices have been opened, more about that will follow.
A long process is involved in delivering quality poles to the customer. First, it must be made from large bamboo stems which after having been machined, will be manageable, smooth, and sturdy bamboo stick. Of course, it can be colored and treated as the client desires, and can be supplied in various lengths.
So far so good, but that does not establish a distinguishing feature. Van Nifterik realizes that in two ways: keep on innovating and guaranteeing quality.
Fiberglass
The story of the fiberglass plant poles may serve as an illustration for the first. Rene Ratterman: "A problem with the poles was sensitivity to fungi, and that is something a grower wants to avoid at all costs. It was such a problem, customers were looking for alternatives. One is fiberglass, poles of fiberglass which indeed have a better resistance against fungi. Around the same time we developed our own anti-fungi means, to treat the bamboo and successfully tackling the problem,. We have made a decision not to go fully for fiber, but to hold on to our own bamboo product. That turned out to be a good choice. The idea that every year hundreds of containers of this bad plastic would end up in the environment, played a large role in this."
Alex van Nifterik happy with the newly designed truck
This has enabled the growth of the company in the past years. Since 2010 Van Nifterik has his own office in China, with its own employees to execute quality controls at various suppliers, guaranteeing a much better quality. "It has lots of advantages to be present. You can coordinate much better, oversee the supply chain, and check whether they produce what you want to."
Alex van Nifterik has been to China more than a 100 times, and alternatively other employees are regularly going there. "To have a strict control over the processes, you have to be there, and this way you beat the competition. The factory is now under Dutch management to translate our customer's wishes even better to a qualitatively high end product."
Storage of Van Nifterik
To conclude, this production location is also a facility in which quality control and innovation can be combined in an incredible way. "If we our customer have an idea, we want to explore that right away. Because we are close to the source, we can begin directly, and we are not dependent on anyone else. Take the SpeedyClip for example, that has the clips already attached. "Because of our own production location we are very flexible in the sizes and numbers, to satisfy every customer."
Van Nifterik invites every one to come have a look at the possibilities of plant support. "We would like to invite you to our stand 47.00 at the Flora Holland Trade Fair."
For more information:
Van Nifterik Holland B.V.
Bonnetstraat 40
6718 XN EDE
T: +31 (0)342 42 41 66
F: +31 (0)342 42 41 77
E: info@vannifterik.com
www.vannifterik.com